A jar full of soup.
Saturday, January 9th, 2010I got a bug in my ear to make soup last weekend. I was flipping through Deborah Madison’s Vegetable Soups lamenting that I had never made any of the recipes. One for a lentil chestnut fennel soup caught my eye, and I wondered how it would be.
I got this vision. A small wall of canning jars in my fridge, full of fresh soups for my lunch. Instead of subsisting on subway at school, I’d have a bowl full of soup filled from my jars.
I drafted a list of what I needed, picking out a couple other recipes to try as well, and began cooking. All told I made 4 soups : Lentil and Chestnut with Fennel, Black Bean with Coconut Milk and lime, Black Bean with Cumin, and Barley with Kidney Beans.
The Lentil and Chestnut inspired it all, and was good but not amazing. In fact the $17 price for the small can of peeled chestnuts and less then amazing results means I won’t be making this one again.
Black Bean with Coconut and Lime was quick and easy to make. Had I used canned beans it would have been even easier. Its a little thin, i added a bit too much water, and a little spicy. Served over rice it makes a great lunch.
Black Bean with Cumin is amazing. I added extra of the vegetables, and cooked the beans from scratch. I added some tomato paste and ended up with a soup that isnt thick, but has a nice body. (Shredded chicken or pulled pork would go well here)
Barley with Kidney Beans is also fabulous. The barley is a thirsty little grain, so the final product is not as soupy as soup should be. Instead its a stew of barley and vegetables, with beans sprinkled in like little gems of protein. (I’ve considered cooking up some sausage and pouring the soup over it for a more substantial meal.)
It’s worked well. In the morning I take my little tupperware bowl, fill it up with soup and slide into a ziplock bag to prevent spills. It’s tasty and once this batch is gone I’m planning another day of soup making.